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THE UTAH NEWSPAPER HALL OF FAME Ernest Rasmus Rasmuson Emerging from high school in 1913, Ernest stepped immediately into teaching, securing a position in Morgan, where he remained two years. For the following nine years, he intermingled studies at the University of Utah and Brigham Young University with teaching at his alma mater, Pleasant Grove, and working at whatever jobs could be found to make ends meet. In 1924, he obtained a Bachelor's degree from BYU and that fall began teaching civics, English and, perhaps prophetically, journalism, at Provo High School. His experience as a freelance writer, a correspondent for the Deseret News and sponsoring the school's publications, along with his older brother's love of newspapering, led to Ernest's decision to enter that field and in 1928 he joined the Provo Herald as a reporter. The collaboration of the Rasmuson brothers would be short-lived, however, for precisely a year later Gunnar moved to Logan where he spent the remainder of his journalistic career. R. W. Goodell succeeded Gunnar as editor and in 1932, when he, too, left Provo, Ernest became the editor. Later he would be managing editor and from 1954 until his 1967 retirement, editorial director and wire editor. Under his guidance, the paper passed through such tumultuous times as the depression of the '30's and World War II with its shortages of personnel and supplies. Provo trebled in population and there was a sizeable parallel growth in neighboring Utah County communities. Along with an enrollment increase of nearly 20,000 students at Brigham Young University by the time he retired. The school was one of his 609 |
